Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to give a detailed update on several very important healthcare projects taking place in Yanchep in my electorate of Pearce in Western Australia. These projects will make a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of the people in my local community.

Firstly, I am very pleased to report that the Yanchep Medicare urgent care clinic is progressing well. This clinic was a major commitment at the 2025 federal election and it is on track to open before the end of this financial year. The clinic will be bulk-billed and available for walk-in patients who need urgent care. This clinic will reduce the pressure on emergency departments. Many people in our community often visit hospitals with conditions that can be treated in an urgent care setting. By providing local access to these services, we can improve timely care and reduce waiting times across the health system. Yanchep and the surrounding suburbs are among the fastest-growing corridors in Western Australia. The population in this corridor is expected to grow by over 400 per cent by 2046, which is significant. This rapid growth places increased demand on existing healthcare infrastructure, and the new Yanchep Medicare urgent care clinic is designed to meet this growing demand, ensuring that families in this area will have better access to urgent health services nearby.

The Edith Cowan University Health Centre precinct in Yanchep continues to show excellent progress. The advancement is thanks to a strong partnership between the Australian federal government, the Western Australian government and Edith Cowan University. Together, these partners have committed $20.7 million to establish a multipurpose primary care centre. This centre will also support important clinical training and health research activities. The ECU Health Centre in Yanchep will feature two co-located integrated health facilities designed to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the expanding Yanchep community. Stage 1 of this precinct is ECU Health Centre Yanchep East, which opened in August 2024. The centre provides a wide range of primary care and mental health services and not only increases access to quality health care but also builds the health workforce by offering training opportunities to students and staff in the local community. Building on the success of the first stage, the second stage, ECU Health Centre Yanchep West, is under construction, with plans to open by mid-2026. This expansion will significantly increase the precinct's ability to meet the healthcare demands of our growing population.

Importantly, this health precinct will be located within walking distance of the Yanchep Central Shopping Centre and will be serviced by bus routes. This location will make it easy for people to access the services they need without long and difficult journeys. The Yanchep Medicare urgent health clinic and the ECU Health Centre precinct represent a forward-thinking healthcare strategy for this region. They offer both immediate urgent care solutions and long-term primary care services. This coordinated approach ensures that no member of our fast-growing community will be left waiting for essential medical care. I commend everyone involved in delivering these projects.

Your dedication and hard work demonstrate a real commitment to supporting the health needs of Yanchep now and well into the future.

In conclusion, the future of health care in Yanchep looks very positive. With the urgent care clinic progressing and the ECU health centre precinct expanding, we are building a healthier, stronger community. We are ensuring that people living in Yanchep and surrounding suburbs have access to the care they need when they need it, which is close to home and with services that are respectful, effective, and definitely easy to reach.